Under The Stars
by SoCalSucks
Summary: Jimmy is being dragged along on a camping trip by his parents, and when they get to the camping grounds, Jimmy's in for a surprise!
1. Joe's Roadside Grill

**Well, here's another "Under the" oneshot. Anyway, I was hit with inspiration, and it _hurt_! So I decided not to ignore, seeing as it will hit me again. Enjoy!****

* * *

****"Under The Stars"**

"Why me?" mumbled the 15 year old genius. He was being towed along on a vacation with his parents, which, to him, didn't count as a vacation at all.

They were going camping. And not ordinary camping, as Jimmy had thought, but the kind where they actually pitched a tent, made their own fires, and, as much as he despised it, find their own food.

Jimmy's dad, Hugh Neutron had insisted that Jimmy's mom, Judy, not come, but she had demanded that the same thing from when Hugh had taken the boys camping never happen again. So she went with.

Now they were stuck in the car, Jimmy squished between their overstuffed bags, grumbling to himself. Although there was _one_ good thing that happened; Judy had let him take Goddard along, just in case the same thing as when they went without happened. Long story short, Judy wanted Goddard along in case a bear came along.

"Hey, boy. Want some lug nuts that I found at the hardware store for half-price? Since it was so cheap, I got 5 pounds of it," Jimmy said brightly, seeing as this was probably as good as his trip was going to get. The metallic dog barked quietly before opening his mouth widely. Jimmy began throwing in silvery lug nuts one by one as the car came to a stop.

"Why'd we stop? Are we there already?" Jimmy looked outside, only to be greeted with a large sign that read 'Joe's Roadside Grill'.

Hugh opened the door to the backseat, causing Jimmy to spill out onto the gravel-y ground. "We're here for some grub before we get to the camping grounds! Now, what to order.." He walked away, rubbing his hands together.

"Mom? Why did you bring me along?" whined Jimmy. Judy gave him one side-swiping glance before looking toward the menu.

"Jimmy, this is a _family_ vacation. That's _you_ included. Now, I'll get you a cheeseburger and a soda, so go wait at the tables in the back."

Jimmy continued grumbling as he trudged to the dirty tables behind the small cheeseburger stand. But what he saw sitting at the table smack-dad in front of him caused him to stop abruptly.

"Cindy?" he gasped, unaware that he looked like a fish out of water. "What are _you_ doing here?"

The blond girl barely gave him a passing glance before examining her fingernails. "I'm here with my mom. She dragged me along on a stupid camping trip... You?"

"Same here... Wow, what are the odds?"

"What _are _the odds, genius boy?"

Jimmy scowled before sitting down across from her, Goddard right beside him. "I would bet a billion to one, except the fact that _some_ people stalk others, narrowing the field to ten to one."

"Shut your piehole, Neutron. Stop talking about Betty that way. Even she's not as bad as you are."

Jimmy let out a snort, barely able to hide his amusement. "Well now, we know _who's_ jealous."

Cindy sighed before rubbing her fingernails on her sky blue tank top. "It was unpleaseant seeing you, Neutron. Hope to never see you again." With that, she was in her mother's car, pulling out of the dismal burger stand.

"What a-" He was interrupted by his overzealous father, waving as hard as he could to get his son's attention.

"Come on, Jimmy! We're eating in the car!"

Jimmy stood up, Goddard hot on his heels. He sighed before throwing another lug nut into his robotic dog's mouth. "Am I _that _bad?"

* * *

Jimmy had fallen asleep in the car, right after he was done with his burger from the burger stand, and now his dad was pulling into a small parking lot filled with only their car and one other one. 

Judy gently shook her son's shoulder, just enough to rouse Jimmy.

"Wha'?" he mumbled. Judy smiled before shaking his shoulder again, lighter this time.

"We're here, Jimmy. Help your dad set up the tent, okay?"

Jimmy nodded as best as he could while groggy and stumbled onto his feet. As soon as his head cleared from the bizarre dream he had had in the car, he noticed the other car.

"I-Is that... No way... That can't be-"

And as his mind was working overtime, a girl stepped out from the large green tent that was set up a couple feet away.

"No way!" they shouted in unison.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, this was _supposed_ to be a oneshot, but I decided to make it a chapter story... Not too long, I hope, seeing as I have like five other stories to continue...**


	2. Mr FeetyPajamas

**Chapter 2**

"No way!" they shouted in unison. Jimmy stared at Cindy, and vice versa.

"Why are you here?" asked Jimmy accusingly. "I thought- Oh wait..."

Cindy sighed and bared her teeth, sitting down on a log suspiciously quickly. _I can't even have a stupid week off without him to come ruin it! Although I didn't really agree to this trip in the first place, _thought Cindy, her emerald green eyes fixed on Jimmy.

"Took you long enough, genius boy."

Jimmy glared at her, anger boiling over his _usually_ calm personality. (Pssh, as if!)

"I thought you were going to a different camping ground, that's all!"

Cindy rolled her eyes, unable to believe such cynical lies. "Neutron, get over yourself. All humans make mistakes, you know.. Oh wait, you don't think you're human, do you?"

"Shut up! Gosh, Vortex, you think you're so great, you with your conceitedness!"

Cindy rolled her eyes again, this time more agitated. "Why are you talking about yourself?"

"Godammit, why do you have to make bad situations even worse?"

Judy looked up from the tent she was attempting to pitch. "Watch you language, James!"

"Alright, Mom!" he shouted back, again turning to Cindy. "Seriously, can't you leave me alone for once in your friggin' life?"

Cindy looked up from her fingernails, of which she had been examining during Jimmy's little speech, and sighed exasperatedly. "Do you think I _planned _this? I cannot believe you. You and your bigheadedness... I mean, if your head was any _more_ filled with hot air, you would blow up! Get over yourself, and here's some advice. _Get a life_." And with that, she strolled over to the tent she had only just vacated.

Jimmy scowled once again, noting nothing other than hate in his mind, but in his heart flickered something entirely different...

"Time to go to your own tent, Nerdtron."

Jimmy could see her smirking up at him from the flap in her tent, and he found good reason to continue scowling.

"_As if _I wanted to stay anywhere near _you_!"

And as he left, a melancholy feeling was left in the air, as if he had just ruined any chances of anything with Cindy. But fate was _not_ giving up so easy.

* * *

The next morning was bleak, fog rolling about, dew covering everything, _including _the tent, through which the dew had soaked through the forlorn night. 

And let's guess what the parents, Cindy's mom included, had in mind.

_Canoeing_.

"No! Mom, it's too cold, it's too dark, Mooooooooommm!" came the cry of Jimmy as his mother attempted to drag him out by the ear.

Something similar was happening over in the Vortex tent.

"Mom, what? No way. NO! NO MOM, IT'S TOO COLD OUT, IT'S NOT EVEN 6 O'CLOCK!" was Cindy's excuse.

But they were both dragged out, and as soon as the moms reached the large fire pit that sat between the two campsites, they were practically thrown down onto logs.

With wide eyes, Cindy attempted to cover herself up, seeing as she was only wearing a pink tank top and pink flannel pajama bottoms.

"Neutron, stop _gawking_ at me and close your eyes!"

But Jimmy could not oblige; his eyes were glued open with shock. Except that Cindy started laughing so hard, she fell off the log.

"I-Is that" Cindy could not say any more that moment because of laughter overcoming her. "Are t-those pajamas with-with" More laughter. "With FEET ATTACHED?"

Cindy could say no more, and she rolled all over the wet forest floor. And who wouldn't after seeing Jimmy in such a time of... Embarrassment?

He was wearing, indeed as Cindy said, pajamas with feet attached. They were red flannel, and it had a yellow atom sign on the left breat pocket, his trademark.

Jimmy could do nothing but blush, trying desperately to free himself of his mother's death grip.

"Let-Let go!" He jerked free, wincing at the pain his mother had inflicted on his earlobe. He turned around abruptly to face Cindy.

"We'll see who has the last laugh, Vortex! I'll see you in a canoe in half an hour!"

Cindy looked up from where she was rolling around, leaves stuck to her.. Umm.. 'Behind'.

"Is that-" A pause. "Is that a challenge, Mr. Feety-Pajamas?"

Glaring, Jimmy pointed at her, and hissed, "Is there anything else that would happen between us?"

And that's how we go the Amazing Canoe War.

* * *

**A/N: Can someone please tell me if that was funny? Because I was too distracting laughing at Jimmy to notice.**

**Anyway, Ooh, a cliffhanger! Muwahaha, I feel so evil.**


	3. The Not So Amazing Canoe War

**A/N: To answer** **JC4EVAH's question, Jimmy was wearing feety pajamas cuz that's what his mom packed for him. It was a gift from some crazy aunt.**

**

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Chapter 3

* * *

**

**Ahh, the Amazing Canoe War... Where to start, where to start...**

**Oh, I know. How about the beginning? So, anyway, it all started out like this. (Imagine a big purple flash before the monitor changes to a scene where Jimmy's standing off to the side of a lake.)**

* * *

Jimmy patiently checked his canoe for any damage as he waited for his rival to come out to the water. Thankfully, his mother and Cindy's mother had decided that this "challenge" would help their social growth, as well as their friendship. But Jimmy often thought, _Pssh, what friendship?_

"God, I hope this weather keeps."

The bleak morning had changed to a nice, sunny setting, as if fate itself was determined to get the two together. (Ooh, I like playing Fate.)

And as Jimmy scanned the lake's placid surface, he noted a large buoy near the middle.

"That'll do for a checkpoint."

Jimmy continued looking on, smiling as he noticed a young boy and his father fishing off to the side of the lake.

"Can we get this over with, Mr. Feety-Pajamas?"

It was Cindy, scowling as if she would be anywhere but here.

She was wearing a dark green turtleneck, navy blue jeans, and beige Uggs. The scowl was still plastered all over her face as she carefully climbed down to join Jimmy on the dock.

Jimmy wasn't looking half bad, either, as he stood with a paddle in his hand, the wind blowing his new haircut awry. He was wearing a plaid button up shirt, a white t-shirt underneath, dungarees, and black steel toed boots.

"What's the hurry?" he asked in bafflement.

Cindy snatched the paddle from Jimmy and she struggled to climb down onto the canoe Jimmy had dragged into the lake for her.

"I don't want to be seen hanging with you, okay?"

Jimmy's breath hitched slightly as he hid a flicker of hurt in his eyes. He held his hand out and helped Cindy into the canoe.

"Alright," he muttered. Then he climbed into his own canoe, only a few feet away from Cindy's.

"Okay, here are the rules," started Jimmy. But Cindy, unwilling to let him take over everything, interrupted.

"Wait, how come _you_ get to pick the rules?"

Jimmy sighed in exasperation before gritting his teeth. "Okay, why don't we work out the rules _together_?"

Cindy smiled smugly and began. "Okay. How about we row out to..."

"The buoy," suggested Jimmy. He smiled slightly to show he was helping and not being a know-it-all jerk. But that didn't go over well.

"Okay, Mr. Feety-Pajamas... We row out to the buoy, circle around it and come back. First one back wins."

Jimmy nodded, trying desperately to help the situation. Cindy accepted this and began rowing.

"Hey!" shouted Jimmy. "You didn't say go!"

Cindy didn't look back as she continued rowing in a ferocious manner. "I said it in my head!"

Jimmy made an odd growling noise before rowing out after her. The scene was actually quite funny, a girl and a guy who werestunningly attractive competing against each other to reach a buoy in the middle of the lake.

But that's when disaster struck.

Cindy, in her hurry to reach the buoy, had looked back to see where Jimmy was, smirking as she noticed he was far behind. But as she was paddling, she struck the side of the canoe, and it began rocking crazily from where it was floating. But a well aimed hit from Jimmy's paddle sent it flipping upside down, Cindy landing in the murky depths below.

She flapped uselessly about, still clutching onto her paddle, using it as more of a weapon than a floatation device.

"Neutron, I'll get you for this!" she screeched, and she spit out mouthfuls of dirty lake water.

Jimmy was roaring with laughter, also clutching his paddle, but for a different reason than Cindy.

But she was _not_ going to let him have the last laugh. So she grabbed the side of Jimmy's canoe, grinning wildly as she flipped it over.

Jimmy let out a yell as he landed in the chilling water, a few inches away from Cindy.

"What was that for?" he demanded angrily, throwing his useless paddle to the side. Jimmy treaded the water as best as he could in his steel toed boots.

"Hey, I _said_ I wasn't going to let you have the last laugh, didn't I?" she replied smugly. Cindy was breathing hard, the exertion of staying afloat and flipping Jimmy's canoe over had worked a number on her.

"Why are you such a bitch, Vortex?" Jimmy ducked underwater and then flipped his head back, making his hair slick back smoothly.

Cindy scowled still, sticking her tongue out before replying. "Why are you such an asshole, Nerdtron?"

"Good tactic; answering my question with another question... You've gotten better at comebacks, Vortex."

"Well, you're such a-- Wait, what? Was that a compliment?"

Jimmy looked away for a moment before saying anything. "It might've been."

"W-Wow... A compliment from Neutron. Who would've thought?"

There was an awkward silence as they tread the water that threatened to bring them down. Then Jimmy broke the silence.

"We should try swimming back soon before we catch something."

He started back in the direction of the dock, making tiny ripples as he went forward.

"Hey, wait! Don't leave me behind!"

They hastily began swimming off to the docks, the boy and father, who were fishing, a little ways away staring at this odd sight.

"I hate you, Neutron, you ruined my Uggs!"

Jimmy snorted, but received a mouthful of water in the return. "Uggs? They belong ruined. Sounds like some caveman swallowed something down the wrong tube!"

Cindy glared at him and climbed onto the warm wood, gasping at the sky.

"I really, really, _really _hate you, Neutron, you know that?"

Jimmy glared back and pulled his boots off, throwing them off to the side after pouring the water out.

"Hey, _I_ could have been dry if _you _didn't flip me over!" he growled before getting up. Jimmy swung his boots by the shoelaces over his shoulder before walking off in the direction of their campsites.

"Hey! Don't leave me here!" shouted Cindy angrily as she trailed after Jimmy. She blew a strand of hair off her face and clunked away in her sodden boots.

* * *

Jimmy and Cindy sat, covered in blankets and in front of the fire Hugh had built clumsily for them. Cindy glared at Jimmy before she grumbled, "I can't beliebe you did dat. Now look ad me, I'm all thick. God, I hade you." 

"Shud up, Vordex. Id's nod like I'm nod sick, you know."

They sat in silence, watching the flames flicker before them. Then Judy came out, accompanied by Sasha, carrying a bowl of something indistinguishable.

"Mom? Whad is dat?"

Judy looked at the bowl with a look of distaste, but struggled to hide her urge to throw up.

"Oh.. Um.. It's.. It's gruel. Your father made it for you two to eat... He said it'll clear your sinuses right up!"

Cindy looked at the bowl of gruel in horror, and nudged Jimmy in the side.

"I am _nod_ eading dat," she hissed inconspicuously.

Jimmy nodded slightly, agreeing with what Cindy had said.

Judy handed the bowl of steaming gruel over to Jimmy, and Sasha handed over two spoons.

"Enjoy, cupcake," smiled Sasha, showing pearly whites directly at Jimmy.

He cringed before scooping up a small amount of gruel onto his spoon. It made a slurping noise as he lifted.

"I can'd beliebe your dad made dis gross... Gross... Ding!"

Jimmy strectched his neck out as he watched the two mothers wiggle into their individual tents. Then he threw the whole thing into the bushes not so far away.

"So, whad were we dalking aboud?" he asked.

Cindy sat in surprise, her mouth open. But soon after she recovered, closing her mouth quickly.

"Uh-uh-uh... We were jusd dalking aboud how sdupid you were."

Jimmy opened his mouth as if he was just about to talk, but he closed it quickly, glaring at her with all his might.

"Hey!"

She smirked at him before tightening the blanket around her shoulders.

"Id's gedding lade. I'm going do my dend."

With that, she was up and away, closing fast on the tent a few feet away.

"See you lader, Neudron."

He waved in a daze, most likely since he had a head cold, but a slight chance of something else...

* * *

**A/N: Wow, that turned out to be a long chapter... Did you like it?**


	4. And Let Peace Be With Us

**Chapter 4**

Jimmy was laying grassy hill, 2 days later, his head cold gone after his mother had forced him to eat his father's disgusting gruel. But as disgusting as it was, it had indeed cleared his sinuses right up.

The same could be said for Cindy, except she had not eaten the gruel. She had asked her mother countless times to drive back to the city and get some cold medicine. And after the tenth time, Sasha was ready to give up.

"What are you doing, Neutron?"

Jimmy looked up and saw Cindy standing in front of him.She was wearing a tight black t-shirt that had the heartagram on the back, and HIM on the front.

"Nothing. Nice t-shirt."

She looked down at herself before sitting down next to him on the grass. "Thanks."

He himself was wearing a plain white t-shirt, jeans, and plain Adidas sneakers. He sighed contently at the night sky and listened to the crickets chirp.

"So. Cindy."

She made a small noise, but her eyes remained on the sky. The night was cool and dark, and neither of them could see much. But Cindy was visualizing Jimmy's eyes, the childhood blue that had remained, but become speckled with gold. She sighed and laid down.

It was amazing what a night under the stars could do, a calming, relaxing night full of breezes and crickets.

"Neutron," asked Cindy. He opened his eyes slightly and glanced at her.

"Hmm?"

He then closed his eyes again, breathing deep through his nose. A damp grassy smell reached his nostrils.

"Why do we fight so much?" she asked quietly, her muscles tense. Jimmy opened one eye but did not respond.

So they lay there, on that grassy hill, looking up at the starry night sky, or perhaps listening to crickets chirp. Or maybe they were thinking of ways to break the silence.

But not tonight. No. Never would they disturb such a peaceful night with such tribulation.


	5. Flashback To A Nightmare

**Chapter 5**

Two weeks.

Two weeks since they've gotten back, and they haven't spoken since. And school started in a few days.

* * *

"Jimmy!" shouted Sheen. "Can we play with your hovercar?"

He bounced around, clutching his Ultralord figure. Carl sat on the couch over on the other side of the lab, shoving cookies down his throat.

"Yeah, Fimmy, lefs gro!" Jimmy gave Carl a look of distaste and Carl swallowed, finally creating enough space in his mouth to say, "I said, yeah, Jimmy, let's go!"

Jimmy sighed and grabbed the keys from his pocket and hurled them at Sheen. "Go and start it... I don't feel like getting up."

Carl looked at Jimmy, and then at Sheen. And back to Jimmy. Carl wheezed over to Jimmy.

"Jimmy, are you sure? You know what happened last time when Sheen took the hovercar out by himself..."

Carl's eyes misted over with rememberance, and crumbs from the cookies he was eating fell off his cheeks.

Jimmy shook his head at Carl, and settled back into his chair. "You guys can do what you want..." He had become increasingly depressed, and no one knew what to do. Especially not Cindy, since they hadn't spoken since they'd gotten back.

He sighed again and closed his eyes, rubbing his temples and tried to make the headache go away. "You go ahead guys, I don't want to go... Besides, I have a massive headache."

So Sheen merely shrugged and sauntered out the door, Carl lagging behind, glancing back at Jimmy worriedly.

Jimmy sighed once again and cracked his neck. _Pop, pop_. It sounded like a cap-gun going off in the lab.

He visualized her face, one that was shining with laughter and smiles. He never saw that anymore... They used to have fun together, at least until something had happened...

_(Flashback)_

_They were finally going on their first date, both of them 13 and cheerful. They were planning on going to the movies, and when they had gotten there, they had had their first real arguement. It was about whatmovie they were going to watch._

_In the end they chose a comedy, something both of them liked, and all arguements were thrown in the past. But then, at their seats, another arguement had begun._

_"Jimmy, can I have those Milk Duds?"_

_He had refused, saying he had bought them for himself._

_"Why can't you just share with me?"_

_"I don't want to."_

_"Please?"_

_"No."_

_So Cindy had walked out to the lobby, telling Jimmy she was just going to get some Milk Duds. But when she failed to come back after ten minutes, Jimmy had gone to the lobby..._

_To see her making out with a new guy, James Levy or whatnot._

_"Oh, hey Jimmy," he had said, unaware that Cindy was here with Jimmy._

_Jimmy had gone in a fit of rage, throwing his fists around and breaking James's nose. After a little bit of destruction, Jimmy was escorted outside and thrown out._

_Cindy standing triumpantly at the door holding onto James, she had smirked._

_(End Flashback)_

He wasconfused now, he knew something had happened between him and Cindy at the campsite, when they had laid and looked up at the night sky on that hill.

But he had no idea what it was.


	6. The Other Side Of The Story

**Chapter 6  
Cindy's POV**

She sighed, laying on her frilly pink bed, knowing fully well that school started in a few days.

But she wasn't ready to face Jimmy, not after the connection they had wrought on the camping trip.

Of course, there was that matter 2 years ago...

_(Flashback)_

_Cindy was walking to class, her stomach in knots, but feeling jubilant. Jimmy had successfully asked her out, and she had said yes._

_But as she was entering the classroom, a shadow washed over her._

_It was Betty Quinlain, and she was smirking._

_"What?" asked Cindy irritably. Betty smirked even wider._

_"Oh, nothing... It's just that.. Jimmy seemed to really enjoy sucking face with me last night."_

_Cindy's heart turned to stone, tears threatening to fall down her flushed face._

_"W-What?"_

_Betty now had a triumphant smirk. "What, he didn't tell you? We've been hooking up a lot lately." She laughed lightly and smoothed her hair down and took a tube of lip gloss out of her purse._

_Then she sauntered into the classroom, swinging her hips._

_And Cindy had stood in the hall, a single tear sliding slowly down her cheek and off of her chin..._

_(End Flashback)_

Cindy sighd and sat up, clutching her pillow as if it were her armor.

She looked outside, the dark night reminding her of the camping trip. To her, remembering was a blessing and a curse.


	7. Back To The Crappy School

**Chapter 7**

School.

Jimmy stood in front of Retroville high, and shuddered at the thought of meeting Cindy. She was his ol' skeleton in the closet, the one thing he had no intention of dragging out... But Fate really had other plans.

"Hey Jimmy!" exclaimed the ever-cheerful Carl Wheezer. He, being so tumultuous, tripped on a pebble and spilled the contents of his backpack all over the ground.

Sheen scowled at Carl and picked him off of the ground. After 4 years of working out, he was pretty damn buff. Then he shot Jimmy a smile that could've passed for a model's.

"Hey, sup Jim?"

Jimmy's jaw hung loose, not that Sheen was buff, but because of how... Reformed he seemed. Apparently Sheen noticed the shock on Jimmy's face.

"What?" he asked, puzzled. He picked up the thick books off of the ground and shoved them onto Carl's arms. The bulky youth was taking up reading, as miracles seemed to spring up everywhere in Retroville.

"So... Umm.. How was your summer, Jimmy?" asked Carl, pushing his new retangular-rimmed glasses further up onto the bridge of his nose.

Jimy shrugged uselessly and stumbled up the stairs. Sheen looked at Carl, then shrugged.

"Disastor," they said in unison, following Jimmy into the school.

* * *

Cindy was also having reconciliations with her many friends and admirers. Every time she passed someone in the hallway, she would get a greeting. 

"Hey, girl, what's up with the long face?"

Libby stood there, her hair and clothes how they always were, her face showing concern for her best friend.

Cindy shrugged and brushed a stray hair away from her face. "Eh. It's nothing. I just... I'm going through a depressed phase or something, I guess."

Libby's brows furrowed and she leaned down where Cindy was kneeling to put her books into her locker.

"Cindy," she asked, lowering her voice. "Did something happen during summer vacation?"

Cindy stood up, clutching a couple textbooks to her chest. "Well... Yeah. But I promise I'll tell you later."

Libby pinched her lips together, a look of determination crossing her features. Then she shrugged and waved to Cindy before walking off in the other direction.

Cindy sighed and the night with Jimmy replayed over and over in her mind.

_**Why does that make me feel so weird?** _


	8. Lunchtime Terror

**Chapter 8**

Cindy sat, bored out of her wits, in her AP Bio class, doodling on the margins of her spiral-bound notebook.

"Miss Vortex? Would you kindly decide to rejoin us and enlighten us with the topic of interest?" asked Mrs. Howerth. Cindy glanced up and noticed the snickers of her classmates, not including Jimmy. He was looking out the window, casually scribbling in his notebook occasionally.

Cindy faced the front of the class. "Umm.. What's the topic of interest?"

The classroom was filled with more snickers, and Cindy noticed Jimmy move his head slightly her way.

Mrs. Howerth smiled almost kindly, but it changed to a frown immediately. "We're talking about the ice worm, Miss Vortex."

_God, the first day of school and we're already hitting the books,_ thought Cindy. She cleared her throat and flipped through the pages of her textbook.

"Ummm... Well... Uh..."

"Ice worms usually survive only in freezing temperature, hence the name _ice_ worms. Their species name, solifugus, means sun-avoiding. Also, they tend to dissolve into goo when heated."

Everyone turned around and looked at where the voice was coming from. It came from Jimmy. He shrugged and went back to looking out the window.

"Well, since Mr. Neutron here has explained somewhat everything we've gone over, you are free to do as you wish until the bell," said Mrs. Howerth. She held her head high and sauntered over to her desk.

Since this was an AP class, Libby or Sheen, or Carl were not in it. But Cindy had made some other friends when she had started High School.

"Hey, what's up, Cindy?" asked Jessica, the first girl Cindy had befriended in her AP classes. They had three classes together.

"Umm.. Nothing."

Jessica shrugged and began doodling on Cindy's notebook. "Huh, what's this?"

She held up the notebook and pointed to the picture of two people laying on a hill under the stars. Cindy snatched it away and closed the notebook withsnap.

"It's.. Uhh... Nothing."

Jessica smiled and tried to take the notebook back. "You're not acting like it's nothing! Come on, lemme see it!"

Cindy's face grew pink and she struggled to hold onto her notebook. "I'll show you later, just stop it!"

Jessica let go of the notebook and Cindy went sprawling. She lay on the ground, noticing laughter coming from everyone in the classroom. Everyone but Jimmy.

The bell rang and everyone hurried toward the door, some even stepping over Cindy.

"Want some help?"

Cindy looked up and saw Jimmy with his hand extended to her.

"Umm.. Thanks," she muttered quietly.

She grasped his hand and he lifted her off the ground with ease.

Jimmy grabbed his backpack off of one of the nearby tables and he walked slowly toward the door. "Coming?"

"Oh, uh... Yeah! Hold on, can you wait while I get my stuff?" She hurried to push her books into her backpack and straightened up.

Jimmy stood, the light streaming in from the windows making his eyes shine brightly, making the golden flecks in his eyes come out. His blue plaid button up shirt was buttoned with only one button, and underneath, he was wearing a plain black t-shirt.

"So you ready?" he asked. Cindy nodded, barely able to say anything. "Y-Yeah." The butterflies in her stomach raging around, she pulled on the hem of her pink t-shirt.

"Let's go to lunch, then," Jimmy said cooly.

* * *

As Cindy walked into the cafeteria, she felt as if the world had stopped. She felt like all eyes were trained on her and Jimmy coming in through the doors. 

But it was merely a trick of her mind, the trick that she wished was coming true. She wanted everyone to know she was standing next to Jimmy Neutron, the boy she had loved, and still loved for 4 years.

Jimmy nodded at Sheen and Carl before walking to the lunch line. "You coming?"

Although Cindy had a lunch packed into her backpack, she nodded, silently praying for enough money to get a lunch.

As they stood there, in the lunch line, they said nothing except for the occasional yes and no to the lunch servers.

"So, what's up, Jimmy?" An awkward silence hung in the air, or at least as silent as it could get with a thousand or more people screaming in the background.

Jimmy glanced at her, the blond bombshell he had asked on a date two years ago. "Nothing. Oh, no corn, please."

They made their way to the end of the line, and Jimmy reached into his back pocket for his wallet. "How much would that be for these two?"

Cindy looked at him, and she placed her hand on his arm. _Oooh_,_ he has such rock hard biceps_, she thought. "You don't have to do that!"

Jimmy looked at her. "What? It's my treat. My treat to eat disgusting cafeteria food and die a slow and painful death while sitting on the john for the rest of the day."

Cindy laughed and took an apple off of the tray next to the cash register. "Well, now that you put it that way."

They both laughed and carried their trays outside to the quad. "So how have you been, Cindy?"

She shrugged and took a bite of her pizza. Showing a look of disgust, she set it down and picked up her apple. "I've been doing good, I guess. I mean, this _is_ the first day of school. There's not much to get worried about or anything."

"Yeah, I guess," replied Jimmy, shrugging as he took a bite of his burger.

They sat in silence, eating their lunches. Cindy looked up occasionally, studying the face of the guy she was so madly, and deeply in love with. She imagined him throwing down his burger and picking her up, kissing her passionately...

"Cindy?" came a voice outside of her mind. She looked up from her lunch tray. "Cindy?" the voice repeated. Jimmy was waving a hand in front of her face, making sure if she was still with him.

"Huh? What?"

"Nothing... You just... You kind of zoned out there."

"Oh, yeah... Sorry."

"No need to apologize."

Jimmy smiled and took a book out of his backpack. Cindy peered curiously at the blank cover. "What is that?"

He looked up and raised his eyebrows. "Oh, this?" He pointed to the book. "It's a book called Timeline. I picked it up in the library this morning. I'm already halfway done though."

Jimmy smiled again and lowered his eyes to the book. Cindy took a deep breath. "Jimmy?" He looked up again.

"You know that camping trip?" she asked quietly. Jimmy's smile disappeared. "I... I was wondering if we could talk about that."

"Talk about what? The camping wasn't anything. You know that, right?"

"Well... I actually wanted to talk about... About what happened two years ago."

A loud silence screamed in the air.

"What happened two years ago, Cindy? Refresh my memory, please," Jimmy said coldly.

Cindy sat, tears beginning to spill over her heavily made up eyelashes.

"So you wanted to talk to me about how you somehow tripped and landed on James Levy's face? Is that what you wanted to talk about?"

"N-No. I... Maybe you should tell me about how you and Betty were 'sucking face' the night before our date?"

"Well, you were such a-- What?"

"I said, maybe you should tell me about how you and 'Miss New Booty' were 'sucking face' the night. BEFORE. OUR. DATE?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Cindy sighed angrily and threw her apple core onto the tray. "God, Neutron, you're such an asshole all the time! Why can't you be more like James? He's so nice! He didn't even get mad when you BROKE HIS NOSE. You are so selfish, Neutron. You only think about yourself and then you pretend you don't even know what I'm talking about when I bring out your little 'secret' with Betty."

She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulders. "Bye, Neutron."

Jimmy sat in his chair, unable to think, unable to breathe at what had just happened before him.

"What the hell was she talking about?" he whispered.


	9. Once Again, We Lay Down, Under The Stars

**Chapter 9**

Jimmy sat in his room, looking up at the glow in the dark stars he had stuck on the ceiling many years ago.

"Goddard?"

The silvery dog looked up from the bolt he was gnawing on. "Bark, bark."

Jimmy smiled and laid down on his bed. "Did I ever do anything wrong, something so bad that it made someone really mad?"

"Bark, bark. Bark."

"No, I don't mean when I made the pants go crazy... I mean, something I did to _one_ person."

"Bark, bark, bark. Bark, bark."

"Hmm... No, not that either... I... Have I ever done anything with Betty and then gotten amnesia or something?"

"Bark."

"No? Well, then what was Cindy talking about?"

"Bark, bark."

"What?" he asked in a baffled tone. "A misunderstanding? Of what?"

"Bark."

Jimmy stayed silent, moved by the logic in Goddard's bark. "Wait..."

He sat up quickly, shoving his hands into his hair. "No!"

Jimmy patted Goddard on the head quickly, snatched a jacket off of his computer chair,grabbed his jet-pack, and leapt out the window. He flew toward Cindy's house, aiming for the window that he was sure was Cindy's.

He tapped on the window, pleased he finally figured out the problem... Or, with Goddard's help, at least...

When Jimmy finally got Cindy to turn around, she was wide-eyed, and screaming. Jimmy couldn't really hear anything because of the thick glass, but he could make out the words that Cindy's mouth formed.

Cindy opened the window, slapping Jimmy right after. "What the hell are you doing here? I hate you, didn't I tell you that? Go away, you jerk!"

Jimmy grabbed her arm and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Shhhh! Here, put this on." He handed her a plain red jacket, emblazoned with the famous atom symbol on the back.

"What? Why?" she asked suspiciously. "Where are you taking me?"

Jimmy put his arms around her torso and activated his jet pack to full power. "We're going to the park."

"At this time of night? What? Oh my God, are you going to rape me?"

Jimmy gave her an annoyed look. "No, I'm not _raping_ you. I want to talk, what do you think?"

Cindy stayed silent for the rest of the trip, and Jimmy thanked God for that. Or whoever he believed in.

* * *

"Cindy." 

She opened her eyes, she had fallen asleep on the quiet journey to the park. "Huh?"

"We're here."

Cindy jerked awake. She looked at Jimmy's watch, practically pulling his arm out of its socket. "It's only ten o'clock?"

Jimmy nodded slowly and set his jet-pack on the ground gently. Cindy sat down on the log nearby. "So please explain to me fully why you brought me out to the park in the dead of night."

Jimmy sighed and laid down on the grass. "Well, there's that thing with Betty you keep talking about."

Cindy opened her mouth, but Jimmy continued before she could say anything. "Yeah, well, I have no recollection at all of that 'event' you keep talking about, most likely since it never happened."

She stared at him, speechless. _Well then... That changs everything._

"Well, I guess...I guess I had no reason to do what I did with James, huh?"

Jimmy nodded and closed his eyes. "Does this remind you of anything?" he asked quietly.

Cindy looked up at the sky, amazed once again at all the stars glistening in the dark.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

And all was silent, except maybe besides the crickets and the small creek beside them. All was silent like that night under the stars.

* * *

**A/N: No, it's not over yet, there's still more to come. :D**


	10. Under The Stars As One

**Chapter 10**

"No Libby, you don't get it! He _didn't _make out with Betty before our date two years ago."

Cindy paced in her room, on the phone with Libby.

"What? How do I know?" she asked. "I know because he flow me out to the park at ten at night yesterday. Yeah... Yeah, it was really romantic... Uh-huh... Yeah, he gave me a jacket..."

_Oh my God, the jacket! _Cindy stared in horror at the red jacket flung over her chair. "Hold on, Libby... I have to go somewhere. I'll call you later. Yeah, okay, bye."

She sighed as she set the phone down on her nightstand. Then she stood up, grabbing the jacket and walking out the door.

* * *

Jimmy was laying on his couch, watching a documentary on the animals of Africa when the doorbell rang. He grumbled as he stood up, muttering about how _some_ people shouldn't have to open the door since they save the world every other day. 

Jimmy wrenched the door open, staring straight into Cindy's face. They were a few inches apart, her warm breath on Jimmy's cheek.

"Umm... Would you like to come in?"

Cindy nodded and held up the jacket. "I actually came here to return the jacket... But... I was kinda hoping we could talk, too."

Jimmy stepped aside and welcomed her in, taking the jacket from her in the process. "What did you want to talk about?"

Cindy sat on his couch, brushing aside potato chip crumbs beforehand. "Umm.. Well... I was kinda wondering why you didn't talk to me at school the other day.. And today."

Jimmy rubbed his neck and sat next to her. "Well... I mean.. We've only just... I didn't know if you wanted to talk to me after... After 2 years of... You know... Staying apart."

Cindy looked at him apologetically, smiling slightly. "I kinda figured that was it... Listen... I really did mean what I said the other night...That night at the park... I really am sorry."

Jimmy smiled at her and sat down, grabbing the bag of chips off of the ground. "Thanks. Want some chips?"

"Sure." She stuck her hand inside the bag, retrieving a few chips and daintily munching on them.

An awkward silence hung over them, until finally, Jimmy broke it. "Let's go outside."

Cindy looked surprised, but she stood up and walked over to the door. "Where outside?"

"Backyard okay with you?"

"Sure."

* * *

Sitting on the grass, Cindy was silent, breathing in the cool night air.

"So what now?" whispered Jimmy, laying on his back and staring at the stars.

"How about we be friends?" asked Cindy, never opening her eyes. Jimmy looked over to her, resting his eyes on her calm, pale face.

"No," he replied, sitting up and inching toward her. Cindy opened one eye and peered at him.

"Why not?"

He finally reached her, calmly sitting down next to her and leaning forward so that his face was barely apart from hers.

"Because I want to be more than friends," he whispered before pushing his lips slowly on hers. She opened both her eyes in surprise, but closed them and relaxed, wrapping her arms around his warm body.

They could feel each others heartbeat, and they both knew that now on, they would only be complete if they were with the other. They knew that they were now one.

And here we are, as these two confused souls found the way to each others hearts.

Here we are again, under the stars.


End file.
